Our Climate Declaration AGM 9 June 2022, 3.30pm

Present: Pat Basket (facilitator), Torfrida Wainwright (notes), Paul Bruce, Joanna and Jack Santa Barbara, Molly Melhuish, Mark Titchener, Grace Sutherland, Dot Lovell Smith, Chris Henderson, Neil Sutherland, Sandra Wilton, Prue Stringer, Rolf Mueller Globbe, Keeto Weeto, Ian Shearer, Jenny Campbell, Jonathon Basket

Apologies - Ivan Johnstone, Gavin McLean, Robin Treadwell,

Convenor’s report (Pat)  Thanks to Jack for the 8 webinars held this year and 13 altogether.  Recordings of all are on the OCD website.  We awarded three Climate Action Grants to groups of young people working on climate action.  We are currently seeking new applications for the September deadline – many thanks to those who have donated to this fund.  Our plea for someone to help run our website brought 3 offers and we’ve now engaged Gareth Jones for this. 

Treasurer’s report (Paul) We have some fixed operating costs to keep the website and email function going.  Climate Action Grants – last year we gave $11,000 in grants and received donations of $18,600.   We have recently gained charitable status - so donors can claim back a third of their donation.  Please contact Paul who can send you the information for this [email protected]

The financial report was approved (moved by Paul and seconded by Jo)

Election of officers   As the following officers were happy to carry on in their roles and there were no other nominations, they were re-elected:

Convenor – Pat Basket

Treasurer – Paul Bruce

Secretary – Torfrida Wainwright

All members are very welcome to attend our regular fortnightly zooms, which occur on Thursdays 3.30-5pm.  If you’d like to do this, please email Pat ([email protected]) who will send the zoom link.

General business

1.  Webinar presenters – we warmly welcome suggestions for topics and presenters to our webinars.  The webinars focus on aspects of The Economy of Enough (in Jeanette Fitzsimons words).  Please email Jack  [email protected]
2. Connections among participants on the zoom were discovered and discussed!
3. A couple of links to follow up

–       Pathway to Survival campaign - raising awareness of what it would look like if we treated climate as an actual emergency  www.path2survival.nz – see Torfrida [email protected] or Paul

–       Draft petition for a Tradeable Energy Quota rationing scheme – see Paul [email protected]

Gareth Hughes, our guest speaker

Has just launched a biography of Jeanette Fitzsimons.

Has just started work as the NZ lead for Well-being Economy Alliance (WEALL), a global organisation connecting those (eg Kate Raworth) working on a new economic transformation as an alternative to neo-liberalism, putting the wellbeing of people and planet before growth.

Using webinars, roadshows to drive this conversation and vision of how change can look. Envisaging a big national gathering/festival next year that brings together all those working on this, and brings these ideas into the 2023 election, driving a progressive agenda for a Green Labour Maori coalition to adopt.

In discussion:  

Jack – Tradeable Energy Quota scheme is a good policy option for coming election – a system to reduce emissions with certainty.

Jo – is doing a submission on whether Emissions Reduction Plan will achieve targets and how to improve it. She will circulate this and would love feedback – contact her at [email protected]

Jenny – 2 big campaigns: a)  Petition to get rid of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, and b) Stewardship land on West Coast (incl Denniston) – panel currently deciding what to do with it. She will send Pat the petition and submission guide over next 2 weeks to go out on OCD emails.  

Next webinar is on Wed 6 July – features people working with local councils on climate action, incl Robert Guyton (Southland), Joanna Santa Barbara (Nelson Tasman) plus Hutt City and Wellington.  Notice coming next week.  

Chris – good Stuff article on Tiwai smelter’s high emissions.